Cutting knife clamp adjustment



May 2, 1950 F. W. SEYBOLD CUTTING KNIFE CLAMP ADJUSTMENT Filed Dec. 8, 1948 INVEN'IOR. FQ'DEQ/Qf W JEYOLD W M ATTORNEYd' mll Ful Patented May 2, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Frederick W. -Seyb.old, Westfield, N. 'J., assi nmto E; IR Lawsonco 'lna, New YorkgN. Y., aurorporation of New York ApplicationDec'ember 8, 194:8, Serial No. 64,081

, Claims. 1

My present invention relates to an improvement of the guillotine type paper cutter described in my application Serial No. 45 285., filed August '20, 1948, and relates especially to a clamp step spring "assembly for utilization especially with hydraulically operated clamps.

In hydraulically operated clamps of the type described in the aforesaid-application, it requires considerable skill-on the part of the-operator to bring the hydraulically-operated clampdown by foot treadle and to stop it just short of touching the stack of paper which the operator desires accurately to locatein relation to a printed line or mark using the front-edge of the clam-pas the cutting indicator.

As the descent andascentoi theclamp is controlled'bya valve or valves-the closing or opening of this valve for proper stopping must, therefore, be done'at the correct time so that this requires extreme skill or feel and different operators possess this skill in varying degrees. Considerabie time is thereby lost in stopping 'the clamp just above the paper pile so that no pressure is exerted on the pile and the latter may still'be shi-fted into position.

An obiiect of the present invention is to overcome the a'foresaidxdifliculty by the utilization of a; spring mechanism wherein the length of the spring may be adjusted to the various heights "of piles so that the weight of the clampis supported by the spring. That is, the operator adjusts the upper end of the spring to a level just above the upper surface of the pile so that when he permits the clamp to descend, it will come-to rest on the spring just above the upper :level of thepile, and the pile-may then be shifted tov be lined up with the clamp.

- Thereafter, when a cutting operation is to be made, the hydraulic mechanism utilized to operate the clamp will exert sufiicient force to puli down the clamp against the compression of the spring and therebyoperate the clamp as if the spring were-no longer present.

The type of counterbalancing mechanism which permits adjustment of the pile is made possible by the controllediorce exerted by the hydraulic mechanism which can overcome the spring after the spring has served its purpose of determining the lower limit of iree descent ofa clamp.

While in hydraulically operated clamp mechanisms the valves may be-operated-to permit the clamp, to descend slowly, theskill of the operator may not be sufficient to close or otherwise opcrate .thevalves atthe correct instant to brin the clamp to a stop at the correct level.

2 By including the clamp stop spring assembly in the mechanism, the operator need merely operate the valves topermit the clamp to descend bygravity. The clamp will then automatically come to rest on the. stop spring without the necessity for further operation of the valves by'the operator. Thereafter when a cut is to be made. the operator controls the normal elements of the machine :for initiating a cut and the hydraulically operated clamping mechanism will bring the clamp down with sufficient force to clamp the paper pile and also with sufiicient force to com.- press the spring to enable the clamp to perform this operation.

It should here be noted that the height-of the clamp when adjusted as'a gauge against thestop spring is a small fraction of an inch above the paper pile so that its reg-istry with the mark or line on the paper pile can be determined.

When, therefore, the clampis thereafter driven down hydraulically, the spring need only be compressed by the same iractiono fan inch before the clamp contacts the paper pile and need thereafter be compressed only by the distance to which the paper pileis compressed, which distance in the ordinary paper pile is only an additional fraction of an inch.

Therefore, by making the spring relatively very long, it can be made sufiiciently strong to support the weight of the :clamp at the adjusted position while the spring does not, however, exert appreciable additional counterbalanci-ng iorce when the clamp is driven down hydraulically. V

The foregoing primary'object and many other objects of my invention will become apparent in the following description and drawings in which:

Figure l is a schematic view oiwa hydraulic clamp for -a-;guillotine type paper cutter with my novel clamp stop-spring assembly.

Figure 2 is, a side view taken from line 2 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the figures, the schematic view of Figure 1 corresponds substantially to the schematic view of Figure 8 of the above-mom tioned application with the addition of the clamp stop spring assembly. v

The operation of the is also identical with that described in the above application.

The clamp 66 is connected by the :pins 19 and B5 on. its opposite sides to the pull bars 78 and 64, respectively. The lower ends of pull "bars 18 and 64 are connected, respectively, by l1 and3to crank armslfiand ii! on shafts 45 and .62., respectively. Crank arms 15 and PM] on shafts 45,-and62 form essentially bell crank/levers with cranks J5 and 61, respectively. a

The bell crank levers 'IBI5 and 6II0 are preferably freely rotatable about their respective shafts 45 and 62. Bell crank lever 6I'I0 also has connected thereto the additional lever 10a forming essentially an integral casting therewith, the lever Ilia being connected by pin {it to the clamp operating link 59, the opposite end of which is connected by pin 58 to crank 51 on shaft 56.

Crank 55 on shaft 56 is connected by pin 54 to the rod 53 of the hydraulic cylinder 52. Piston rod 50 of the hydraulic cylinder is connected by its extension I4 to pin 43 of the drive crank 44 on the drive shaft 45, the drive shaft 45 being connected to the knife driving mechanism. Hydraulic fluid is supplied to the cylinder 52 through the conduits a: and 7c in accordance with the sysgem described in the above-mentioned applicaion.

Thus, bell crank lever 6I--'I0 is driven by the hydraulic mechanism. Bell crank level T5'I5 is'connected for simultaneous operation by the link I2 connected by the pins I3 on bell crank lever I'I5 and pin 'II on bell crank lever Iii-10 so that the pull bars I8 and B4 are pulled down simultaneously to pull down the clamp 66 evenly.

- As previously pointed out, the hydraulic mecha 'nism acting on cylinder 52 and the piston contained therein connected to piston rod 55 act as a link in the connection between the drive shaft 45 and bell crank lever iii-10 to drive the clamp 65 down.

Shaft 45 is not a continuously rotating shaft but an oscillating rotating shaft rotating in one direction when the knife moves down and in the opposite direction when the knife moves up. Consequently, the hydraulic cylinder 52 is a link in the connection from drive shaft 45 to the driven bell crank lever 6I'I0 to raise the clamp 66 after the knife leaves the pile in its upward movement.

In addition, valve elements which are provided as described in the above application may per mit the shift or movement of the hydraulic fluid with respect to the cylinder 52 to permit the clamp 66 to descend. V The d-ifiiculty which arises is that the operator may not be sufficiently skilled to operate these valves in time to halt the descent of the clamp. Accordingly, the clamp stop spring assembly I00 is provided. The left hand extension Iiii of clamp 56 is provided with a bore I02 through which the rod I03 passes. The lower end of the rod is threaded at I04 while the upper end of the rod which is accessible to the operator is provided with a square end I05 which may be engaged by a ratchet wrench to rotate the rod I 3. The lower end of rod I03 is shouldered at I06 where it is threaded to provide a seat or hearing for washer I0! against which the upper end of the compression spring I08 rests. The lower end of compression spring I08 rests on the block I09 which is pivoted on the pin Iiii extending from the frame of the machine. Pipe III connected to the block I09 guides the cornpression spring I00. The upper end of pipe Iii has secured thereto so that it is not rotatable with respect thereto the nut II2 having an internal thread in threaded engagement with the threaded extension I04 of the rod I03.

As the square end I05 of the adjustment rod I 03 is rotated, the rod I03 moves up or down with respect to the stationary nut IIZ. the rod I03 is rotated so that it moves upwardly,

When

4 then the compression I08 also forces the washer I01 upwardly. When the rod I03 is rotated to move downwardly, then it forces the washer I0'I down to compress the spring I08.

Figure 1 shows the adjustment of washer I01 and compression spring I08 for a very low pile while Figure 2 shows the adjustment for a relatively high pile.

When the rod I03 is adjusted for a relatively high pile, then as seen in Figure 2 the compression spring I08 raises the washer I0'I. When now the clamp 63 is permitted to descend, the under surface IOIa of extension IOI moves down to the washer I 0! and comes to rest thereon, the washer I0! and compression spring I08 supporting the weight of the clamp 66.

When thereafter the clamp operating mechanism is operated to bring the clamp down, then clamp 66 may move downwardly with the additional force imparted thereto by the clamp operating mechanism, and extension IOI of the clamp pushes down on the washer IIlI compressing the spring I08 and moving the washer I01 downwardly away from the shoulder I06.

Thus, the operator may rotate the squared end I05 of adjustment rod I03 to adjust the washer I01 to the desired height at which clamp 05 is to come to rest. He then operates his valves to permit the clamp to descend by gravity and the clamp then comes to rest on washer I9! supported by compression spring I08.

Rod I83 and its squared end I05 are controlled by the operator to cause the clamp to come to rest at a position just above the paper pile and sufficiently close thereto so that the edge of the clamp may be used as a gauge in connection with a line or mark on the paper. This adjustment is preferably made before the paper pile is placed in the machine, but it may be made at any time even after the paper pile is placed in the machine. Preferably the adjustment is made with respect to the first pile of paper in any run of piles of similar height.

When the operator is to cut a smaller pile, then he rotates the rod I 03 so that it moves downwardly, forcing the washer I01 and the upper end of spring I08 downwardly to a point where again the clamp will come to rest above the paper pile.

By the utilization of the simple clamp stop spring assembly herein disclosed, extreme skill on the part of the operator in bringing the clamp to a stop at the gauging point just above the paper pile is made unnecessary.

The operator adjusts the stopping point and then permits the clamp to descend to the stopping point. The stop element supports the weight of the clamp at the stopping point. Since, however; the stop element is compressible, it does not interfere, whatever its adjustment, with the operation of the clamp towards and away from clamping position by the driving apparatus.

In the foregoing I have described my invention solely in onnection with specific illustrative embodiments thereof. Since many variations and modifications of my invention will now be obvious to those skilled in the art. I prefer to be bound not by the specific disclosures herein contained but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a paper cutter having a vertically reciprocal clamping member; drive apparatus for driving the clamp downwardly; means for permitting the clamp to descend by gravity; and a resilient stop member in the path of downward movement 5 of the clamp for halting the clamp when it descends by gravity; said driving apparatus having sufilcient force to overcome and resiliently displace said stop downwardly when the driving apparatus drives the clamp downwardly.

2. In a paper cutter having a vertically reciprocal clamping member; drive apparatus for driving the clamp downwardly; means for permitting the clamp to descend by gravity; and a resilient vertically adjustable stop member in the path of downward movement of the clamp for halting the clamp when it descends by gravity; said driving apparatus having sufficient force to overcome and resiliently displace said stop downwardly when the driving apparatus drives the clamp downwardly.

3. In a paper cutter having a vertically reciprocal clamping member; drive apparatus for driving the clamp downwardly; means for permitting the clamp to descend by gravity; and a. resilient vertically adjustable stop member in the path of downward movement of the clamp for halting the clamp when it descends by gravity; said driving apparatus having sufiicient force to overcome and resiliently displace said stop downwardly when the driving apparatus drives the clamp downwardly; said stop comprising a washer; a vertical compression spring supporting said washer and biasing the same upward; a guide for said washer; said guide extendin through said washer and vertically through a portion of said clamp.

4. In a paper cutter having a vertically reciprocal clamping member; drive apparatus for driving the clamp downwardly; means for permitting the clamp to descend by gravity; and a resilient vertically adjustable stop member in the path of downward movement of the clamp for halting the clamp when it descends by gravity;

said driving apparatus having sufficient force to overcome and resiliently displace said step downwardly when the driving apparatus drives the clamp downwardly; said stop comprising a washer; a vertical compression spring supporting said washer and biasing the same upward; a guide for said washer; said guide extending through said washer and vertically through a portion of said clamp; said guide having a shoulder bearing against the upper surface of said washer; and means for moving said shoulder vertically to adjust the vertical position of said washer.

5. In a paper cutter having a vertically reciprocal clamping member; drive apparatus for driving the clamp downwardly; means for permitting the clamp to descend by gravity; and a resilient vertically adjustable stop member in the path of downward movement of the clamp for halting the clamp when it descends by gravity; said driving apparatus having sufiicient force to overcome and resiliently displace said step downwardly when the driving apparatus drives the clamp downwardly; said stop comprising a washer; a vertical compression spring supporting said washer and biasing the same upward; a guide for said washer; said guide extending through said washer and vertically through a portion of said clamp; said guide having a shoulder bearing against the upper surface of said washer; and means for moving said shoulder vertically to adjust the vertical position of said washer; said means comprising a threaded extension of said guide; a stationary nut; said extension being in threaded engagement with said nut; said guide being rotatable to cause the same to move vertically in said nut.

FREDERICK W. SEYBOLD.

No references cited. 

